Starting in the Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can create a flash
archive on a system with a UFS root file system or a ZFS
root file system. A flash archive of a ZFS root pool contains the
entire pool hierarchy, except for the swap and dump volumes, and any excluded
datasets. The swap and dump volumes are created when the flash archive is
installed. You can use the flash archive installation method as follows:

Create a flash archive that can be used to install and boot a system with a ZFS root file system.

Perform a JumpStart installation or initial installation of a clone system by using a ZFS flash archive. Creating a ZFS flash archive clones an entire root pool, not individual boot environments. Individual datasets within the pool can be excluded by using the -D option to the flarcreate and flar commands.

Review the following limitations before you consider installing a system with a ZFS
flash archive:

Starting in the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release, you can use the interactive installation's flash archive option to install a system with a ZFS root file system. In addition, you use a flash archive to update an alternate ZFS BE by using the luupgrade command.

You can only install a flash archive on a system that has the same architecture as the system on which you created the ZFS flash archive. For example, an archive that is created on a sun4v system cannot be installed on a sun4u system.

Only a full initial installation of a ZFS flash archive is supported. You cannot install a differential flash archive of a ZFS root file system or install a hybrid UFS/ZFS archive.

Starting in the Solaris 10 8/11 release, you can use a UFS flash archive to install a ZFS root file system. For example:

If you use the pool keyword in JumpStart profile, the UFS flash archive installs into a ZFS root pool.

pool rpool auto auto auto mirror c0t0d0s0 c0t1d0s0

During interactive installation of a UFS flash archive, select ZFS as the file system type.

Although the entire root pool, except for any explicitly excluded datasets, is archived and installed, only the ZFS BE that is booted when the archive is created is usable after the flash archive is installed. However, pools that are archived with the -Rrootdir option of the flarcreate or flar command can be used to archive a root pool other than the root pool that is currently booted.

The flarcreate and flar command options that are used to include and exclude individual files are not supported in a ZFS flash archive. You can only exclude entire datasets from a ZFS flash archive.

The flar info command is not supported for a ZFS flash archive. For example:

After a master system is installed with or upgraded to at least
the Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can create a ZFS flash archive to
be used to install a target system. The basic process follows:

Create the ZFS flash archive with the flarcreate command on the master system. All datasets in the root pool, except for the swap and dump volumes, are included in the ZFS flash archive.

Create a JumpStart profile to include the flash archive information on the installation server.

Install the ZFS flash archive on the target system.

The following archive options are supported for installing a ZFS root pool with
a flash archive:

Use the flarcreate or flar command to create a flash archive from the specified ZFS root pool. If not specified, a flash archive of the default root pool is created.

Use flarcreate-Ddataset to exclude the specified dataset from the flash archive. This option can be used multiple times to exclude multiple datasets.

After a ZFS flash archive is installed, the system is configured as follows:

The entire dataset hierarchy that existed on the system where the flash archive was created is re-created on the target system, except for any datasets that were specifically excluded at the time of archive creation. The swap and dump volumes are not included in the flash archive.

The root pool has the same name as the pool that was used to create the archive.

The BE that was active when the flash archive was created is the active and default BE on the deployed systems.

Example 5-2 Installing a System With a ZFS Flash Archive (JumpStart Installation)

After the master system is installed or upgraded to at least the
Solaris 10 10/09 release, you then create a flash archive of the ZFS
root pool. For example:

On the system that will be used as the installation server, you
then create a JumpStart profile as you would to install any system. For
example, the following profile is used to install the zfs10upflar archive:

You can install a ZFS root file system by selecting the Flash
installation option. This option assumes that a ZFS flash archive has already been
created and is available.

From the Solaris Interactive Installation screen, select the F4_Flash option.

From the Reboot After Installation screen, select the Auto Reboot or Manual Reboot option.

From the Choose Filesystem Type screen, select ZFS.

From the Flash Archive Retrieval Method screen, select the retrieval method, such as HTTP, FTP, NFS, Local File, Local Tape, or Local Device.

For example, select NFS if the ZFS flash archive is shared from an NFS server.

From the Flash Archive Addition screen, specify the location of the ZFS flash archive.

For example, if the location is an NFS server, identify the server by its IP address and then specify the path to the ZFS flash archive.

NFS Location: 12.34.567.890:/export/zfs10upflar

From the Flash Archive Selection screen, confirm the retrieval method and the ZFS BE name.

Flash Archive Selection
You selected the following Flash archives to use to install this system. If
you want to add another archive to install select "New".
Retrieval Method Name
====================================================================
NFS zfsBE

Review the next set of screens, similar to an initial installation, and select the options that match your configuration:

Select Disks

Preserve Data?

Configure ZFS Settings

Review the summary information and then select the Continue option.

For example:

Configure ZFS Settings
Specify the name of the pool to be created from the disk(s) you have chosen.
Also specify the name of the dataset to be created within the pool that is
to be used as the root directory for the filesystem.
ZFS Pool Name: rpool
ZFS Root Dataset Name: s10zfsBE
ZFS Pool Size (in MB): 69995
Size of Swap Area (in MB): 2048
Size of Dump Area (in MB): 1024
(Pool size must be between 7591 MB and 69995 MB)

If the flash archive is a ZFS send stream, the combined or separate /var file system options are not presented. In this case, whether /var is combined or not depends on how it is configured on the master system.

Press Continue at the Mount Remote File Systems? screen.

Review the Profile screen, and press F4 to make any changes. Otherwise, press Begin_Installation (F2).